I am always being asked about low cost and quick to implement marketing ideas by my business owner clients. And because we are in uncertain times, speed and cost certainly are mission-critical considerations. For this reason, I have compiled the following list for my readers. All of these ideas have been implemented by me or on behalf of my clients with great success. My goal with this list is to keep the cost of each idea or initiative down to $200 or less. A few of the marketing ideas are completely free (aside from your time).

Many of these initiatives are what I consider “in the street” back to the basics ideas. No business is above them if their existing business environment is suitable for any of these strategies. Now is not the time to protect those fragile and proud egos.

Wallet Keepers: Print informative content on a card. The information should be good enough for your prospects to want to keep in their wallets. Think this through. How can you take up permanent real estate in someone’s wallet? The low hanging fruit ideas are calendars and tip charts. Be creative and try to be specific to your industry.

Line of Sight: This is a strategy to display your promotional materials in your prospects’ line of sight. It can start with a simple brochure display in your lobby to poster signs in heavy traffic areas. For example a self-storage company might want to put up an ad poster in every aisle of the storage units promoting peripheral services and products. Look around. Where are your prospects and customers spending time? Do you have any of your marketing collateral there?

Invoice Stuffers: How many bills do you send out a month? Existing customers are your best bets for a quick revenue boost. Print an envelope size mini-flyer promoting a new product or service. Offer an incentive or a special offer just for them. Most of your customers do not know about everything you do or offer. Invoice stuffers are a wonderful way to generate new inquiries from your existing customer base.

Premise Signs: This is a basic tactic but it still works. Print a banner or a yard sign. If you are near drive-by traffic and you offer a product or service that is suitable for this kind of promotion, use this timeless tool. If your location is at a corner deep inside a center or an office park, put up a simple yard sign near the entrance that points to you and your offers. During these times, your landlords aren’t going to fight you on signs. They don’t want your business to fail.

Car Magnets & Decals: Do you drive? Do you have drivers? Slap some magnets on the doors. If you have a web site, post your web address on your rear car window. Again, this is not a time to be self-conscious. Don’t keep your business a secret. Get out there and tell everyone what you do for a living. Offer your employees an incentive to do the same. If you’ve got some team players, they’ll want to do this without the incentive.

Branded Clothing, Hats: These days you can print branded shirts, hats and other wearables in small quantities. Just search online for companies printing low quantities. Wear your business proud. How about a “company colors” day where everyone wears company-branded shirts? Take everyone out to a team lunch and give out a $50 gift certificate to the most enthusiastic team player. Doing something like this will not only promote your business, it can also increase morale.

Free Online Listings: Go to the following key online directories and list your business for free.

I hope my list inspires you to take action today. Marketing doesn’t always have to be about strategic planning, branding and other mental paralysis causing endeavors. Sometimes, it is just about quick action with a “Whatever It Takes” attitude. There are many good reasons why Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan became one of the best advertising campaigns of all time.